While Whatcom County pauses a planned demolition of the near-century-old Northwest Annex complex in north Bellingham, one lifesaving tenant is especially unsure of its future in the complex, or where it may go next.
Whatcom County Search and Rescue (WCSAR), the entity overseeing more than 200 volunteers that comprise six specialized units, was set to move from its current headquarters at the Northwest Annex and break ground this summer on a new building in Everson. However, it ran into a Catch-22 with the funding.
WCSAR had been fundraising for the Everson facility when county council set aside $1.5 million in funding in August 2024 for 10 years of rent at the Everson facility, but had not yet approved the funding.
Gwynn Gruizenga-Top, the WCSAR board treasurer, explained that the organization had found a developer to donate the land the new headquarters would sit upon, and rent it back to the county once occupied. But before construction could begin, the developer still needed an approved bank loan, which required a signed lease from the county. The construction came to a standstill.
Gruizenga-Top said the county was “not willing” to sign a lease without an occupancy permit. However, Jed Holmes, a spokesperson for the Whatcom County Executive’s Office, said the county was unable to enter a lease agreement for a facility that had not been built and permitted for occupancy. He added the county doesn’t have authority to enter into a lease without authorization from council. WSCAR sought an immediate turnaround on its request, Holmes said, which didn’t give the county time to process it or provide alternative solutions.
The two parties are in disagreement about whether the county can give funding for a new building to a nonprofit like WCSAR. The county argues funding a new building would constitute gifting public funds. WCSAR believes that it does not violate the gifting of public funds doctrine as an organization that provides emergency rescue, an essential public service.
The county is tightening its capital works budget and decided earlier this month to put on hold the demolition of the Northwest Annex. With the stop in demolition plans, WCSAR will continue working from its aging headquarters as plans to build in Everson are “on indefinite hold,” Gruizenga-Top said.
Gruizenga-Top said the current 5,227-square-foot building has eight vehicle bays and one storage shed, with only enough room for basic meetings and limited parking. Any indoor training like First Aid and CPR certification has to be done at other, donated venues like a nearby church, Gruizenga-Top said.
Plans for the new, three-building county office complex at one point included a drive-thru coffee shop taking place of the WCSAR headquarters on Smith Road, much to the chagrin of WCSAR. Subsequent plans scrapped the coffee shop idea, Holmes said. The proposed Everson building was 10,000 square feet with 10 vehicle bays.
“If you had asked me about this a month ago, I would’ve said, ‘Full steam ahead. We start construction at the end of July,’” Gruizenga-Top said. “Since then, we’ve put the project in Everson on indefinite hold. The county, I guess to put it simply, just can’t quite get out of their own way.”
Believing that breaking ground on a new headquarters in Everson is not on the horizon, Gruizenga-Top said the search and rescue nonprofit wants a commitment from the county that the building won’t be demolished anytime soon.
“We want some kind of assurance from the county that they will, at the very least, honor our lease,” Gruizenga-Top said. “That would mean we could put some money into fixing this, building it up and making it a little more usable. We’re outgrowing it.”
Holmes wrote in an email to The Northern Light that the county will continue to allow WCSAR to use the Northwest Annex building, but that development plans could quickly change things.
“Whatcom County will continue to make this space available to WCSAR for as long as feasible within the county’s plans,” Holmes wrote. “Since those plans are in flux, it’s difficult to say exactly when the county may need to reclaim that space for redevelopment needs. The lease will remain in place until either party moves to terminate the agreement.”
Holmes said that it will take another six to eight months before the county will revisit the Northwest Annex development project.
Regarding the defunct new headquarters in Everson, Holmes said the county cannot enter a lease agreement for a facility that hasn’t been built nor permitted for occupancy. He added that county council needs to approve a financial commitment like a lease agreement on a new building.
“The county recognizes that WCSAR performs a valuable public service,” Holmes wrote. “However, please keep in mind that Whatcom County must account for every tax dollar it spends, and the rules of this accounting are quite specific. In this case, tax dollars cannot be provided in exchange for volunteer service, which is the SAR model.”
WCSAR, like all search and rescue organizations in Washington, operates under the umbrella of local law enforcement, which in this case is the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office. State law requires all SAR organizations to operate under law enforcement offices, but WCSAR does not have any publicly funded revenue streams like law enforcement.
Private donations are the main funding mechanism for WCSAR, Gruizenga-Top said.
WCSAR is always seeking donations to help its rescue efforts that range from the waters of the Puget Sound and Nooksack River to the peaks of the North Cascades. Donations can be made at wcsar.org. Donations of in kind services are also always appreciated, Gruizenga-Top said.
This article was updated July 25 to make several corrections. A previous version of the article stated the county approved $1.5 million in funding for 10 years of rent at a new WCSAR facility in Everson. The county set aside the funding, but council has not approved it.
The article was updated to include additional information to clarify the county did not have authority to enter a lease for the Everson facility as well as to provide additional context.
The article incorrectly stated that WCSAR could use the $1.5 million in funding for rent at the Northwest Annex.
Due to inaccurate information given to The Northern Light, a previous version of the article incorrectly stated WCSAR owns its building at the Northwest Annex complex. It does not. The article also previously stated WCSAR’s lease with the county was through 2035, but it is a 35-year lease ending in 2054.
We regret the errors.
